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Florida Hospital Orlando

Florida Hospital Orlando is a cornerstone of Central Florida’s epicenter for arts, science and medicine. Around us, neighborhoods have flourished, a small town became the city beautiful, and a hospital is becoming part of Health Village.

Our campus is the anchor of an urban community where every generation can thrive. Health Village is where residence, lifestyle, business and medicine merge to enrich the community as a whole. Close knit. Open ideas. Breakthrough research. Our collective focus is on achieving longer, healthier, happier lives for our community and world beyond.

In 100 years, we’ve grown from a small, two-story farmhouse turned medical facility to one of the most sought after hospitals in the country. As our campus and capabilities continue to grow, we are committed to leading Central Florida into the next century of healthcare.

Cancer

Service Line - Related Treatments and Conditions

Genetic Counseling and Testing Program

Approximately 5-10% of All Cancers Have a Hereditary Component

As a part of our comprehensive cancer care, Florida Hospital Cancer Institute provides patients at risk for a hereditary cancer syndrome with one-on-one appointments with our genetic counselor. This consultation will include a review of the patient's full medical and family history, as well as a three-generation pedigree. The discussion will also include defining the features of hereditary cancer syndromes, the biology of cancer and cancer susceptibility genes.

The patient and the genetic counselor will consider the option of genetic testing, if warranted, including the benefits and limitations and what the results can mean. A detailed discussion of cancer screening, medical management and surgical guidelines for hereditary cancer syndromes will follow. The patient and their primary care physician will receive a summary letter after each genetic consultation.

To learn more about genetic counseling provided at Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, call (407) 303-1700 or complete the Contact Us form and you can expect a call within 48 hours.

Risk Factors for Inherited Cancer Syndrome

Below are just some of the risk factors that may predispose individuals to an inherited cancer syndrome.

A family member under the age of 50 who was diagnosed with cancer.

A family member with multiple primary tumors (e.g., colon and uterine cancer).

Multiple family members on the same side of the family diagnosed with the same kind of cancer.

Multiple family members in several generations on the same side of the family diagnosed with cancer.

A family member with certain rare cancers, such as male breast cancer or medullary thyroid cancer.

A blood relative with a known mutation.

Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, as these individuals appear susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer.

If your family history has one or more of these risk factors, and you wish to learn more about your risk of developing cancer, please give us a call today at (407) 303-1700 or contact us online.

FAQs

Below are the answers to some of the questions most frequently asked about our Genetic Counseling and Testing Program.

Q: What is genetic testing?

A: Cancer genetic testing is a diagnostic test to determine whether or not an individual carries a gene change associated with an increased risk of a hereditary cancer syndrome. This test is usually performed by obtaining a blood or mouthwash sample that contains your DNA or genetic information.

Q: Will my insurance cover the cost of genetic testing?

A: That depends on your insurance provider, as each provider has different policies related to genetic testing. However, our genetic counselor will be happy to work with your insurance company to facilitate the testing process.

Q: Will my insurance provider discriminate against me if I participate in genetic testing?

A: No. In fact, there is a law prohibiting insurers from using the information in your genetic test against you.